


For Your Entertainment

by marrrow



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Catboy Objectification, Dirty Talk, Dubious Consent, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Masturbation, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:49:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29963904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marrrow/pseuds/marrrow
Summary: Dietrich tells Haurchefant a lurid, dubious account of his last sexual encounter, for his lover’s pleasure.
Relationships: Haurchefant Greystone/Warrior of Light
Kudos: 28





	For Your Entertainment

**Author's Note:**

> The narrative gimmick in _Interview with the Vampire_ fascinated me as a teenager

Haurchefant paused a moment. “Ah—your tail,” he hummed, plainly delighted.

Dietrich blinked and glanced at him. The two of them lay in Haurchefant’s bed at Camp Dragonhead, Dietrich with his head resting against Haurchefant’s arm and one of his legs hooked over his lover’s knee. “My… tail?” he asked, as he pushed back with his hips to take more of Haurchefant’s fingers. He groaned softly as a wave of pleasure rolled up his spine, tingling through to the base of his skull and the very tip of his tail; he shivered and arched a little, eager for Haurchefant to continue.

Thankfully, Haurchefant understood and resumed working Dietrich without needing to be asked directly. “Aye—the way it stands up straight when you’re enjoying yourself.” He pulled out his fingers so he could shift, sliding his arm further under Dietrich and rolling him up onto him. Dietrich’s breath hitched with surprise as he found himself lying across Haurchefant, straddling his hip, and he started again when he felt him use his free hand to trace the upward arc of Dietrich’s tail, from its base to its end. His eyes met Dietrich’s, and they glittered warmly at him as he smiled. “It’s cute.”

He slipped his fingers back inside, and Dietrich shivered—now acutely aware of how his tail quivered and flicked as another little surge of pleasure rolled through him. His face felt a little warmer, and he had to turn away from Haurchefant for a moment. “C-cute…” he muttered, low and uncertain into Haurchefant’s chest. Although Haurchefant was always quick to share his observations about him, Dietrich still had a difficult time reconciling the description of _cute_ with his general self-concept—or indeed, anyone _else’s_ concept of him.

But Haurchefant nodded. He reached up with his free hand to brush some loose strands of blond hair out of Dietrich’s eyes before he set it back against his hip. “I’m not certain if that’s only something charming _you_ do, or if it’s common among Miqo’te…” he said softly, his voice low and breathy. He pushed deeper into Dietrich with his fingers. Dietrich shuddered, clenching softly around them, and he had to bury his face into Haurchefant’s chest to muffle the sound of his moan. “But I find it very… _provoking._ ”

Dietrich closed his eyes, pushing back into Haurchefant’s hand with his hips and groaning his name. _Gods,_ the way he _said_ it…

\--

“I… don’t actually know,” admitted Dietrich, as he lay on his back some time later, head turned in Haurchefant’s direction. “I’ve never, er… _been to bed_ with another Miqo’te.” He glanced away and coughed awkwardly into his fist. “I didn’t even realize it was something _I_ did…”

But Haurchefant just laughed. “Well, don’t be embarrassed about it,” he said as he crossed back over to the bed, his hands fresh from the wash basin. As he lay back down, he slipped his arm under Dietrich’s neck and gathered him up with the other, pulling him close. “Again, I quite like it. Not only is it very cute, which it most certainly is”—he kissed the top of Dietrich’s head, before dropping his voice to a lower note and leaning close to Dietrich’s ear—”but it’s a good indicator of how well I’m doing my job.”

Dietrich felt his face flush hot against Haurchefant’s shoulder; he pursed his lips, one hand curling into a fist against his lover’s side. “I _suppose_ ,” he grumbled softly, both embarrassed to have it said so frankly and faintly aroused by that same experience.

As if sensing this, Haurchefant pressed another little kiss into Dietrich’s hair. “Did your last lover truly let you go without ever remarking upon it?” Haurchefant shifted a little lower, so he could dip his head and dot Dietrich’s neck with kisses; he squeezed him affectionately and laughed softly against Dietrich’s throat, unable to contain his delight. “It beggars belief—it’s such a charming gesture!”

Dietrich’s chest fluttered, and he instinctively pressed himself close, his own fingers squeezing against Haurchefant’s side. Against his bare leg, he could feel his lover’s erection—and as he pressed close, he felt Haurchefant thrust softly against him. A little thrill of pleasure shot up Dietrich’s spine, and he pushed against him with his thigh. “Well, perhaps,” he muttered. “I’m not sure I remember anything _anyone_ might have said—it’s been some time since then.” 

Haurchefant took the invitation and rubbed himself against Dietrich. Lips still pressed to Dietrich’s throat, he hummed, his voice a pleasant rumble through his chest cavity and into Dietrich’s. Dietrich could feel him smile as he kissed him again. “Pray, tell me about it,” he murmured.

Dietrich blinked. “To tell you about it…” he echoed, processing the request as he felt Haurchefant shift, tilting his hips so he could reach himself better with his hand. “The whole thing’s a bit of a blur, to be honest. The passage of time aside, I wasn’t even completely sober as it happened.”

But Haurchefant sighed—such a soft, sweet sound—and Dietrich couldn’t help but turn his eyes to watch as Haurchefant wrapped his hand around the end of his own cock and began to slowly work it with his fingers. “I want to hear about you with your last lover,” he breathed, the smile audible in his voice. He bent his arm to comb the fingers of his other hand through Dietrich’s hair. “It doesn’t have to be _accurate._ ”

Dietrich took a breath and closed his eyes as he echoed him again, softly, as he turned the idea over in his head.

Just an entertaining story about Dietrich bedding someone else, for Haurchefant’s enjoyment. Dietrich’s heart started a little faster in his chest. He wasn’t much of a storyteller—but he thought he could manage that much. “Very well,” he murmured, his voice soft but resolute as he made his decision. He glanced down at his lover and reached up to brush his fingers against Haurchefant’s cheek and back through his hair. “I’ll tell you about the last time I ended up in someone’s bed, before you.”

Dietrich felt Haurchefant exhale against his neck—a trembling, smiling sort of anticipation as he gave him another little kiss. Dietrich took a breath to steady himself, closed his eyes, and began:

“Now, this was several years ago. I was still a student then, and had arrived in Eorzea to apprentice for a time under a respected colleague of my advisor—a breadth of experience sort of arrangement, for only a few months, before I would return to Sharlayan and resume my usual studies. My mentor made his home in a town a few hours’ ride from Limsa Lominsa; but when I stepped off the airship, not only was it already evening, but a storm was on the horizon, so I was compelled to make arrangements to set out in the morning, instead.”

Here, Dietrich paused, bouncing his eyebrows. “Of course, for _reasons_ that were obviously very foolish and could have gotten me killed—I _did_ surrender all good judgment and decided instead to ride out, at night, through both inclement weather and an unfamiliar landscape. As you might expect, it wasn’t long at all before I was soaked to the skin, thoroughly lost, and seriously concerned about the threat of being struck by lightning on the relatively sparse La Noscean moor upon which I found myself. As I descended a hill to reach lower ground, I spotted a copse of trees ahead of me that looked tall and dense enough to shield me from the lightning. Since that seemed like the best shelter I was like to find, I hastened my way there. And I was fortunate, because I was right—and yet still _more_ fortunate, as set up at the center of the trees, was a yurt.”

He glanced at Haurchefant, although he could not see his eyes. “Are you familiar with what a yurt is?”

Haurchefant gave a small shake of his head and hummed his denial into Dietrich’s neck. It was taking Dietrich some time to get to the point of the story; but a narrative without the proper build-up would have no impact at its climax—and he knew that Haurchefant knew that, and was willing to wait for it. Still, he softly rubbed himself as Dietrich took his time with it, idly combing the fingers of his other hand through Dietrich’s hair.

They were in no hurry, after all.

“Well, it’s a big, round tent, in essence,” Dietrich explained. “I’m given to understand they’re primarily used by the nomads of the Azim Steppe, in the Far East—which was where the owners of _this_ particular yurt _did_ hail from. While it’s a temporary structure, it’s far sturdier than you would expect of a tent, and there’s an opening at the top to let out the smoke from cooking fires…” He blinked and shook his head. “I digress. Anyroad, I made myself known to its occupants, and asked if I might shelter with them until the rain had stopped. Fortunately, they were kind enough to oblige me and welcomed me inside.”

Dietrich sighed and closed his eyes. “Now, the men in this yurt,” he began. “As I mentioned, they were natives of the Azim Steppe, so they were all Xaela—very tall and imposing, perhaps around your height. There were three of them, and I believe they were Batu, Ganbaatar, and— Hells, what was the last one’s name?” Dietrich paused to think, screwing up his eyes and pursing his lips. “Monkhbat, I think—aye, that sounds right.

“But, regardless of their names,” he went on, face relaxing again, although his eyes remained closed, “the three of them offered me a very warm welcome. They gave me hot food and a blanket to wrap myself in after I had shed most of my soaking clothes, which they allowed to dry by the fire; in general, they seemed pleased to have a guest, and were quite friendly. They, themselves, had braved the voyage overseas to see the world beyond their homeland, so they were very interested in what had brought me out into the storm—who I was, where I was attempting to go, and all those sorts of things. They had a bottle of ale, which they were also kind enough to share with me as we sat around the fire and talked. I was down to my trousers and shirt, but they hadn’t managed to escape the rain, so even with everything else, I was very cold—and therefore, very appreciative of the drink.”

Here, Dietrich paused to take a breath. When he spoke again, it was in a low, careful tone—almost conspiratorial, as he turned his head to murmur directly into Haurchefant’s ear. “After a time, the thunder and lightning stopped, although the rain yet persisted, coming down through the trees to drum on the tent roof. By then, we had drained the bottle by passing it back and forth between us four. Although I do hold my liquor well, as you know, I struggle to keep pace with companions as big as you. So suffice to say, I was drunker than my hosts—not by a _wide_ margin, but drunker, nevertheless.

“It was around then that the conversation turned to more… _amorous_ topics for a time, as they are wont to do with men drinking—conquests and the quality of Eorzean lovers, and so on. One of them—I believe it was Batu—he…”

Dietrich paused again, taking another moment to consider how best to phrase the rest of his thought. He could feel Haurchefant’s breath against his neck—a steady rhythm, but Dietrich could feel the tension in his body as Haurchefant waited for him to speak again after leaving them teetering on the edge of the next phase of his story. His anticipation, as he waited for Dietrich to describe _what_ Batu did that would tip them over that edge, felt good. He waited so patiently, and Dietrich took an extra moment or two to savor that pulsing current of anticipation that flowed from him, before he finally said, “In so many words, he _challenged me_ to bed the three of them—to let them swive me, specifically,” he clarified, as an afterthought.

The way Haurchefant inhaled sent a pleasant shiver up Dietrich’s spine, and from the corner of his eye, he watched as Haurchefant started working himself more deliberately. Dietrich’s heart beat a little faster as he followed the path of Haurchefant’s hand with his eyes—taking in the smooth glide up and down his shaft. “And of course, I declined immediately.”

And that made Haurchefant laugh. His body shook with the force of it, shuddering through him. “You _what?_ ” he asked, incredulous. At once, he kissed Dietrich’s neck affectionately, and Dietrich could feel the curve of his smile against his skin. 

“I declined, in no uncertain terms,” repeated Dietrich, matter-of-fact. Haurchefant should have predicted that—and Dietrich expected that it was precisely _because_ it was so predictable that he had laughed so hard. “Still, the three of them began to close in on me, penning me in as they tried to persuade me, offering me all kinds of reasons. That they had an appetite after discussing it; that a traveler should take whatever opportunities come his way; that it was still raining and we were all trapped, so we might as well do something to pass the time.”

And again, Dietrich dropped his voice back to that low, secretive tone, spoken into Haurchefant’s ear like it was for him alone. “And if I’m honest with myself, I found both the offer _very_ appealing and that last point particularly convincing. The idea of climbing into bed with these strange men, simply because we were all there with nothing better to do…” Dietrich trailed off with a soft sigh, and let his eyes close again. “I _liked_ that idea—there was a thrill to it that I wanted very badly to indulge in. But I rejected them out of hand, on principle, without a moment’s consideration of what I actually _wanted._

“But this did not discourage them, and in my embarrassment about the situation, I decided it was better to brave the elements, and began to rise. But as soon as I shed the blanket they’d given me, they spotted how wet my clothes still were—clinging to me as I shivered, all covered in gooseflesh. They latched onto this, instead, and decided that what they needed to do was _warm me up._

“They began to strip me,” he murmured into Haurchefant’s ear, and Dietrich was pleased to feel a shudder run through him. His breaths came a little heavier against Dietrich’s neck, and he made the palest little hum of pleasure as his pace increased. Dietrich put his fingers through Haurchefant’s hair and softly kissed his head. “I protested, of course. But they were far bigger than I, and stronger besides, and there was only so much I could do when they took me by the arms and waist and peeled my sodden shirt off of me.

“It was frightening, to be sure, but exciting in equal measure, to be handled this way. I had never experienced anything like it, as I was…” Here, Dietrich trailed off, brows pinching and lips pursing for a moment. “Well, I had never taken a lover before, absorbed as I was in my studies—not that I had confessed that to them, of course. Although I suspect they figured it out, regardless.

“But the thrill I felt as they held me—firmly enough that I could not move but gently enough that I was not in any pain—and passed their hands and mouths along the length of my body was… _profound._ I was caught between a fit of panic and a surprising, terrifying hunger for more of what they had for me—whatever it might have been.” Dietrich had to pause to suck in a breath, swallowing hard. “And as they wrestled me out of my trousers, they were quick to point out that this treatment had gotten me hard—an observation which embarrassed me intensely, but only somehow strengthened that desire for _more._ More teasing, more rough handling, more…”

Dietrich trailed off and did not finish that thought, except with a sigh. Against him, Haurchefant groaned softly into his neck. Dietrich pressed his hand affectionately to his cheek and nuzzled his head with his lips. “I was beginning to settle into this situation of being pored over by these men when one of them—I think this was Ganbaatar—wrapped his arm around my middle and lifted me up. He threw me effortlessly over his shoulder, and as he rose to his feet and I felt his body flex against my weight, I was momentarily stunned into silence by the strength of my own _eagerness_. I could only dangle there, with no thoughts at all except how much I wanted whatever they could give me.

“But as soon as he laid me out on the great nest of blankets, skins and cushions they called a bed, I remembered I was attempting to refuse them. They were on top of me again before I could gain my feet, but I struggled and protested as they pinned me down and resumed all of the touching and kissing and groping that I had liked so much. But at once, it was clear to me where this was going to end, and the thought was—as before—just as frightening as it was exciting.”

Dietrich swallowed again, taking another shaking breath as he murmured into Haurchefant’s ear, “Do not mistake me—even knowing what was in store for me, I wanted it _very badly._ But no matter how I desired it or how freely they offered it, I knew not how to accept. I _could not_ accept.”

Haurchefant was louder now, his breaths puffing hot and quick against Dietrich’s neck as he groaned and whimpered. Dietrich opened his eyes to check on him, and watched for a time as he stroked himself, making full, eager passes with his hand—gliding up and down; rising to the top with a twist of his wrist before descending again to his base, and back again. The view was lovely, but Dietrich had to close his eyes so he could focus on his story. But fortunately, Haurchefant _sounded_ just as lovely as he looked, and Dietrich’s heart fluttered and pounded as he listened to him.

“So I continued to protest. Monkhbat lay beside me and kissed me quiet, holding my head firmly with his hand; and Ganbaatar must have held me on my other side, because it was Batu who got me out of my smallclothes and settled between my knees,” he said, breathless. “I had… Well, _obviously_ I had never been penetrated before, in any respect; but for as aggressive as they were with me, again, they were very gentle, and as Batu used his fingers, I…” He took a shuddering breath, his hips twitching a little. “I couldn’t help but enjoy it, very much.”

Haurchefant swore softly and moaned his name. The fingers of his free hand curled in Dietrich’s hair, and he kissed his neck—hot tongue, hot breath as he lapped and sucked eagerly at his skin. Dietrich sighed against him, pushing on the back of his head to hold him there.

“And then they had their pleasure of me,” he breathed. “It was difficult at first. They were all quite large—which makes sense, since they were all close to your height.” As he said it, he lightly squeezed his fingers against the back of Haurchefant’s head, and his lover groaned his name again in answer. “But once I got used to having something so big inside me—or even before then, perhaps—it was… Well, very pleasant, to have Batu on top of me like that.”

Here, Dietrich paused, as a thought occurred to him and he remembered his and Haurchefant’s earlier conversation. “Now that I think on it, perhaps _he_ said something about my tail, after all. They expressed to me that they hadn’t seen a Miqo’te before arriving in Eorzea, so I was something of a novelty to them; and it was Batu, who liked us in particular, I believe. He described how he liked our ears and our tails, and how _tight_ we fit around him as he rode us—and he _was_ a _very_ tight fit.” Dietrich’s breath hitched in his chest, and he paused a moment to think. “Aye—something about the way it stood on end and trembled every time he thrust, and how it betrayed the pleasure I took in him.

“But the memory is indistinct—I remember Batu the most clearly, since he was first, but even that is blurry. But I do remember, when he made me climax, the force of it— I thought for a moment I’d perhaps died, or gone blind, at least. The feeling was so intense; I’d never come so hard before… And when he finally finished inside of…”

He could tell Haurchefant was close; Dietrich knew from the character of his voice as he whined for release. He sounded so wonderful, and again, Dietrich opened his eyes to watch him as he pumped himself furiously, desperate to bring himself over the edge. Dietrich wanted so badly to touch him and do it for him—but that wasn’t the nature of this game. Still, Dietrich himself groaned softly with a desire not unlike what he’d already described, but took a sharp breath, pressed an emphatic kiss to the top of Haurchefant’s head, and resumed his story as best he could:

“I think Monkhbat went next, and then Ganbaatar after him… But Batu had ridden me for a long time, so I was tired by then, and drunk, so I don’t remember clearly. The fight had gone out of me by then, and as they took their turns with me, I was eager to accept them in whichever way they wanted. Again, I could not express it—but I was glad they hadn’t gotten squeamish about that now, so I could take them as many times as they liked—”

Dietrich’s breath hitched as he felt Haurchefant gasp and shudder, and the thick, warm spurts of semen against his leg as he finally came. Haurchefant groaned into his neck, his entire body going tense and then slack against him, the full weight of his head lolling limply against Dietrich’s shoulder as his orgasm washed over him.

Dietrich shifted, squirming up higher on the bed; he slid one arm beneath Haurchefant’s neck, pressing one hand against his lover’s muscular back, and used the other to cradle his head and pull Haurchefant into his arms. And Haurchefant eagerly obliged, tucking his face into Dietrich’s chest and wrapping both arms around him, his hands squeezing lovingly against his back and waist. Dietrich combed his fingers through Haurchefant’s silver hair and pressed soft kisses to the top of his head; and Haurchefant answered him in kind, leaving breathless kiss after breathless kiss against Dietrich’s collarbone—clumsy and dazed, but so earnest and sweet that Dietrich’s heart felt full to bursting.

After a time, they both lay still, wrapped up in each other. Dietrich still stroked Haurchefant’s hair as they lay there; eyes closed, he listened to his lover’s breathing, feeling its ebb and flow in the easy rise and fall of his chest.

And he felt very happy that way.

\--

“That…” breathed Haurcehfant after a while, a laugh in his voice as he nuzzled Dietrich’s chest. “That wasn’t the story I expected.”

Dietrich reluctantly opened his eyes, although they only made it to half mast. “Ah,” he murmured. “Indeed, it ended up longer than I anticipated. Forgive me.”

But Haurchefant laughed to himself, shaking his head. “That’s not what I meant!”

“Hm. In that case, I suppose it was rather...” Dietrich trailed off a moment, blinking his eyes as he searched for the word he wanted. “ _Lurid,_ wasn’t it?”

“Surprisingly so.” Again, Haurchefant nuzzled his face into Dietrich’s chest and squeezed him, before he shifted to look up into Dietrich’s face. His eyes were still dreamy and warm in that way the Dietrich liked so much, and his smile as he looked up at him was so sweetly radiant that Dietrich felt compelled to kiss him—except that Haurchefant clearly meant to say something. “And I’m not sure what’s harder to believe,” he said, laughter bubbling into his voice. “That you _experienced_ any of that, or that _you_ —straitlaced Dr. Faust— _made any of it up!_ ”

Dietrich was neither able to or interested in keeping the smile off of his face as he snorted. “Well, that’s _your_ influence upon me, then.”

And that made Haurchefant laugh a little louder. “I suppose it must be—although made up or no, I struggle to imagine you telling a story like it at _all._ ”

Dietrich bounced his eyebrows and shrugged, as best he could lying down. “I am ever a man of many talents, and they seem to grow more varied by the day.” 

Haurchefant snorted. “Evidently so. But even to embellish facts like that—” Here, he heaved himself up and rolled Dietrich onto his back, wrapping him tight in his arms and pinning him under his weight. “What a filthy mind you have! What other depraved things are you imagining—and _why are you hiding them from me?_ ”

He descended on Dietrich’s neck, blanketing it in a flurry of kisses. Despite himself, Dietrich laughed aloud and thrashed, trying to free himself—even though he didn’t really want to succeed. “I haven’t—my mind is perfectly decent!”

“Bullshite! You just told me a story about getting swived by three men on a stormy night! You talked about wet clothes clinging to bodies and half-drowned desperation! Drinking with good-looking men who manhandle you and strip you naked to satisfy themselves in precisely the way you want them to! Virgin anxiety and getting ridden all night!”

“Because that’s what happened!”

Again, Haurchefant laughed. “Impossible! No one has _ever_ been so favored by circumstance on his first time!” He kissed Dietrich one final time before he at last lifted his head and eased his grip, although he continued to lay on top of him as he grinned at him, his smile stretched so wide that it squeezed shut his eyes. But then he blinked, and his expression became thoughtful. “Then again, you have already lived multiple lifetimes’ worth of adventures, and more incredible situations, besides. Perhaps it’s possible for _you_ to have that kind of good luck, even if no one else…”

He lapsed into a contemplative silence, his fine features the picture of serious thought; Dietrich laid one hand on his shoulder and brushed the other through his hair, waiting patiently for his verdict. Although Dietrich was disinclined to ascribe any of his life’s events to anything like _fate_ or his association with Hydaelyn, he did have to admit that unlikely circumstances did manage to find him with greater frequency than the average person. Haurchefant’s supposition was not without its merits.

At last, Haurchefant sighed and shook his head, smiling through his defeat. “Ah, both options are so implausible that it’s impossible to separate the fact from the fantasy!”

Dietrich raised his eyebrows at him. “Would you _like_ me to separate them?”

But Haurchefant shook his head. “No, no; that’s part of the fun. Besides, I like this portrait of Eorzea you’ve painted for me—where handsome strangers wait by the roadside to provide both succor and seduction to any fetching travelers who come knocking.” He relaxed his neck to rest his cheek on Dietrich’s chest and flashed him a fresh grin, blue eyes alight with a kind of mischief. “Perhaps—should your name ever be cleared and I should ever find myself suitably free from responsibility—we might tour Eorzea together and encounter these friends of yours again. And mayhap they’ll be as generous with two as with one.”

Despite the nature of the lengthy yarn he’d just unspooled for Haurchefant, this made Dietrich blush. He pursed his lips and blinked down at his lover, whose smile only widened as he took in Dietrich’s reaction. “A-aye—perhaps so,” he mumbled, brushing his fingers back through Haurchefant’s hair and leaning forward to kiss his forehead. “Though I suspect I may find them wanting, were we to meet again.”

Haurchefant laughed softly and pressed a kiss to Dietrich’s chest before closing his eyes and relaxing fully. Dietrich stroked his hair, brushing his cheek with his other hand, and felt Haurchefant sigh contentedly on top of him—his face the very picture of glowing serenity. Dietrich, too, let his eyes gradually shut.

So warm—Haurchefant was always so warm.

“How does it end?”

Dietrich blinked, his thoughts fading back into focus. “How does it end?” he repeated, not grasping Haurchefant’s meaning until he’d said it himself. “Ah. Well—at some point, I lost consciousness, although I don’t remember the context. I was _exhausted_ , but I was also drunk, so it’s impossible to say which one finally did me in.

“Regardless, when I awoke the next morning, I was tucked into bed with the others, being crushed against one of them and pinned beneath someone else. Obviously, I hadn’t had the opportunity to sober up before I fell asleep, so my headache was terrible"—Haurchefant was well familiar with this scenario—”but otherwise, I was…” Dietrich trailed off and glanced away to cough awkwardly into his fist. “Very comfortable.

“They were just as hospitable in the light of day as they had been the night before,” he went on, turning back to Haurchefant and resuming stroking his hair. “My hosts gave me breakfast and plenty of water, and Batu rode out with me to help me find my way back to the road. It was still raining, but only very lightly, so my clothes—which had dried overnight—were sufficient to keep me warm and dry; and in the end, I was only a couple hours later than my mentor had expected me.”

He said it conclusively, raising his eyebrows at Haurchefant as if to signal that his story was truly at an end. But then, after a short pause, he added by way of postscript, “Though the ride was just as terrible as the headache, as you might imagine.”

And Haurchefant laughed. “I’m sure it was! Pain to balance all of that pleasure. But, an otherwise happy ending.”

Dietrich snorted and closed his eyes again. “It wouldn’t be a very good story if it ended badly.”

Haurchefant hummed and closed his eyes again. “I suppose not,” he sighed.

A comfortable silence fell over them. Dietrich savored the warm press of Haurchefant’s weight and the gentle ebb and flow of his breathing as he drifted off to sleep on top of him. Even as sleep started to claim him, Dietrich continued brushing his fingers through his lover’s hair for as long as he was able before he finally slipped away, as well.

At last, they slept—warm and comfortable together in Haurchefant’s bed.


End file.
